Towing mines



J. P. NORDELL.

TOWING MINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.21. 1912.

1,341 ,578. Patented May 25, 1920,.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' 65 BY 3% F ATTo R N EY '1. NORDELL.

TOWING MINES. AIPPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1917.

1,341,57 Patented May 25,1920

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR 170k mmrde Jfi WITNESSES ATTORNEY are JOHN P. NORDELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Application filed April 21, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. NORDELL, a citizen of United States of America, residing at New York city, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Towing Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a torpedo or mine defense wherein the submerged mines or torpedoes are towed and permitted to spread out and away from the towing vessel so that they will cover a large area, and by the peculiar formation of the float to which the mine or torpedo is attached, each float will move forward in a direction parallel to that of the towing vessel at a slight angle thereto to permit a pulling force to be exerted on the several floats.

The usual manner of towing mines or torpedoes causes them to follow substantially in the path of the towing vessel and as it is desired that the mines or torpedoes be kept spaced apart a more or less rigid ele ment must be employed.

In this invention, the formation of the float accomplishes this purpose, and this float, when acted upon by a pull that is exerted at a slight angle to its longitudinal axis, is caused to move in a forward direction, and the several floats will arrange themselves in a wide-mouthed V-shaped formation according to the amount of pull on them and the speed of the towing vessel.

The floats in this invention are so shaped that they will present a surface that will readily pass through the water with a tendency to move at an angle against the pulling force, and at the same time the speed at which they are drawn through the water by the vessel will cause them to maintain J a position near the surface by means of a peculiarly shaped plane or horizontal rudder I carried on the upper edge of each of the planes near its forward end.

Each of the floats has depending therefrom a mine or torpedo, the depth of immersion being regulated by its weight, and in order that the floats may readily pass through the water with little resistance they are provided with coneor ogival-shaped ends, and in order that they may be moved in a forward direction due to the pulling force communicated to the float, they are provided with a rudder. This rudder may be straight or curved according to the par Specification of Letters Patent.

TOWING MINES.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Serial No. 163,672.

tic ular direction the mine or torpedo is required to move relatively to the float and to the water.

Broadly stated, the invention comprises a series of floats so shaped that they will present a relatively small surface in passing through the water and which have upon thelr upper edge a plane so shaped that when the float is drawn through the water it operates to lift the float, beginning at its forward end, one edge and one side surface of the edge of the floats presenting a curved outline, means disposed upon the two side surfaces and the lower edge to permit of the attaching of flexible means, and means disposed upon the lower edge connecting directly with an immersed torpedo or mine of a cylindrical outline having coneor ogivalshaped ends and a rudder disposed adjacent one of the ends, the attaching means dlsposed upon the side surfaces of the float being employed for connecting several floats together and also to afford means for connecting the floats for towing purposes.

One practical form of construction will be described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a diagrammatic view;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a float and its depending mine or torpedo;

Fig. 3 is a series of sectional views of one of the floats;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of a float; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a float.

In the preferred embodiment to be here inafter described, the towing vessel indicated at 10 is of a submarine or submersible type. Extending from this vessel 10 is a towing cable 11, which is secured to a series of floats so that they may be towed upon the port side, and at '12 is indicated another towing cable which is secured to another series of floats so that they may be towed upon the starboard side.

The floats may be formed of any suitable material and may be made solidly of wood or may be made of metal which provides an air-tight compartment to produce buoyancy 14. This straight portion 14 communicates with a straight or vertical end indicated. at 15.

in the float. Each of the floats is provided I As shown in Fig. 3, the float is of varying vertical heights, and these varying heights produce a curved upper edge that includes the straight portion. The lower edge 16 is provided with attaching means indicated at 17 and 18. These means may be of any suitable construction. As shown in Fig. 2 the lower edge extends in a direction substantially at right angles to the rear end 15 and to the front end 19.

The top edge is provided with a notch having the horizontal portion 20 and the vertical wall 21. The vertical wall 21 is an gul'arly connected with the curved top edge 13. This-notch by its shape forms a bearing and shoulder for a transversely disposed rudder or guiding element, the top surface of which, indicated at 22, forms a continuation of the curved top edge indicated at 13. As shown, this surface 22 inclines upwardly a little toward its front edge, indicated at As shown in Fig. 2, the rudder or guiding element is provided with a curved face indicated at 2st that extends transversely of the float and of the front end 19. The rudder is so positioned and secured to the float that this transverse surface 2 1 may be angularly disposed with regard to the front edge 19 of the float- The rudder, as shown in the top plan view, Fig. 5', has four sides. These sides are indicated'by the numerals 25, 26, 27 and 23. As shown in Fig. 2 the side 27 extends downwardly from its point of juncture with the front edge 23 and joins the rear edge 26.

The point of juncture of the rear edge 26 with the side 27 is substantially in a plane which conforms to the lower surface of the rudder where it rests upon the horizontal portion 20 of the notch formed in the body A of the float. As is also shown in Fig. 2, the top surface indicated at 22 of this rudder is provided with a ridge portion indicated at 29. The surface 22 curves away from the ridge portion 29 to connect with each of the sides 25 and 27. The point of juncture produces a very thin presenting edge as does the front edge 23 in cooperation with the under surface 2 1 of the surface 22. The under surface of this rudder or guiding element, inclicated at B,-is curved from front to rear as well as being curved from the side 27 to the point of attachment of the rudder at the point indicated at 20 of the notch formed in the float.

The other side of this rudder or guiding element is similarly formed so that the two surfaces presented to the water in passing through operate as planes tending to lift the forward end of the float upward. The upper surface 22 by reason of its curved outline permits the front edge 28 to cut the water so that the water will flow over the rudder, or guiding element, in a stream line manner without producing eddies or swirls for attaching a tow line.

thereon to increase the friction as the float is moved forward in the water. This element by reason of the several curved surfaces and its transverse position on the float serves to ride the float upward to the surface and also acts to maintain the equilibrium of the float.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the particular longitudinal outline of the float is more clearlyseen. Fig. l is a bottom plan View, and shows that the float is provided wit-h aflat surface or side indicated at 30, which extends between the front end 19 and the rear end 15. The other side of the float is of varying thiclrn'ess, the curved portion of which being ind1- cated at 31 and. continuing rearwardly to a flat surface indicated at 32, which flat surface connects with the rear end 15.

As shown in Fig. 4, the curvedsurface 31 connects with the front end 19 forming an acute angle therewith, which angle extends throughout the length of the float. This angular end serves to more readily permit of the float passing through the water in a longitudinal direction. By providing this curved side 31 in conjunction with the flat side 30, the float when pulled through the water tends to move in a direction at substantially right angles to the force acting upon it. The increase in speed of the towing vessel and therefore in the amount of pull exerted upon the tow lme tends to cause the floats to move out and away from the towing. vessel. The floats will move outwardly due to these curved surfaces until they travel in a direction parallel to the direction in which the towing vessel moves. The floats will then arrange t-hemselyes in a wide-mouthed V- shaped formation, or in other words the tow line and the floats will project from the towing vessel in very nearly a right angular direction. to the longitudinal axis of the towing vessel.

Disposed upon each of the surfaces 30 and 31 are attaching means indicated at 33 and 34. These attaching means are for the purpose of connecting a cable or other flexible element which serves to maintain the floats and their torpedoes in a spaced relation when being drawn through the water, and also serve upon one of them as a means As shown,,these attaching means operate to pull each of the floats through the water ,in a sidewise manner, that isthe pu'll is so directed that a large surface of the plane offers resistance.

The cables used for connecting the several "floats together are indicated at 35 and 36. Secured to the attaching means 17 and 18 carried upon the lower edge 16 of the float arefle xible cables indicated at 37 and 38. These cables 37 and 38 are secured to the attaching means. indicated at 39 and carried by the torpedo or mine indicated at D. The torpedo or mine D is provided with coneor ogival-shaped heads or ends, indicated at 41 and 42. The body or cylindrical portion is indicated at 43.

Secured at the rear end in any convenient or usual manner is a rudder 28, which serves the purpose of directing the torpedo or mine D in a more or less straight direction in accordance with the movement of the float through the water. The length of the flexible cables 37 and 38, which serve as depending means for the torpedo or mine D will preferably be such that the torpedo or mine will be submerged to the proper depth.

The cylindrical portion 43 of the torpedo or mine D may serve as a container for an explosive and the end or head 41 may also contain a suitable contact device or fulminat-e for the purpose of producing the combustion of the explosive.

hat is claimed as new is 1. A torpedo and mine defense comprising a towing vessel, towing cables extending: laterally therefrom, floats connected with the cables and each comprising a body portion with one vertical flat side and having its opposite substantially vertical side deflected outwardly with reference to the main axis of the float and rearwardly of its nose portion, for maintaining the float in the course defined by the towing vessel, when the cables are taut, and explosive devices supported from the floats.

2. In a device of the class described, a float for supporting a torpedo and comprising a body portion, one vertical side of which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the float and is in an approximately vertical plane when the float is in normal position, and the opposite side of which presents a curved surface for a portion of its length, and guiding means carried by the upper portion of the float and projecting laterally and upwardly therefrom, the said guiding means being at approximately the water line when the float is submerged and carries a torpedo.

3. In a device of the class described, a float adapted to support a torpedo, said float being higher toward one end than at the other end, an upwardly laterally and longitudinally extending member projecting from the forward end of the float at approximately the water line, said float having a top, bottom, and sides, one side portion being deflected outwardly along a curved line to form a guiding member.

4. A torpedo and a float from which said torpedo is suspended, the float comprising a body portion having one vertical flat side, parallel with the longitudinal axis of the float, and an oppositely located side deflected outwardly at a point forward of its central portion, the float being of increased width at the deflected portion.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signav ture.

JOHN P. NORDELL. 

